Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 40-7-18-.06 - Testing

(1) The Commissioner shall require testing of finished products leaving the food processing plant, including ingredients going to other facilities for use in other products, for the presence of poisonous or deleterious substances or other contaminants rendering such foods or ingredients injurious to health; testing shall be conducted according to the risk category of the food processing plant.

(a) The food processing plant risk category shall be determined according to the highest risk product the plant produces. The three designated risk categories and minimum testing requirements are:

1. Low risk products - quarterly testing.

2. Moderate risk products - monthly testing.

3. High risk products - semimonthly testing.

(b) Reasonable representative samples according to the scale of the operation/processing shall be tested at regular intervals.

(c) Each firm shall determine, according to the product they are producing, which test shall be sufficient to detect the presence of poisonous or deleterious substances or other contaminants that would cause a food or ingredient to be injurious to health.

(d) Testing shall be conducted by a laboratory as prescribed in 40-7-18-.05.

(e) All positive results shall be reported to the Department in accordance with 40-7-18-.07(1).

(f) Finished product and finished product ingredient testing is Georgia law, and may not be equivalent to any testing regimen required by the Food and Drug Administration. Food processing plants are encouraged to consult with the Department to ensure their testing program is compliant with Georgia laws and regulations.

(2) In addition to any regular tests required, the Commissioner may order any food processing plant to have samples or specimens of its foods and ingredients tested for the presence of any poisonous or deleterious substances or other contaminants whenever in his or her determination there are reasonable grounds to suspect that such food or ingredients may be injurious to health.

(3) The food processing plant shall be responsible for the cost of any testing required pursuant to these regulations and may conduct such testing either internally or via a third party as prescribed in 40-7-18-.05.

Notes

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 40-7-18-.06

O.C.G.A. § 26-2-1, et seq.

Original Rule entitled "Testing" adopted. F. Apr. 14, 2010; eff. May 4, 2010. Amended: F. Oct. 1, 2018; eff. Oct. 21, 2018. Amended: F. Aug. 27, 2019; eff. Sept. 16, 2019.